Suction nozzle with work-operated valve



July 31, 1951 r. E. D. BILDE sucnou NOZZLE WITH WORK-OPERATED VALVE Filed Feb. 15, 1945 Patented July 31, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESUCTION NOZZLE WITH WORK-OPERATED VALVE Tord Erik Daniel Bilde,Stockholm, Sweden,-'assignor to Aktiebolaget Elektrolux, Stockholm,Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Application February 15, 1945, SerialNo. 577,963 In Sweden February 22, 1944 6 Claims. (Cl. 1 5 3ss 1 7 Thiinvention relates to suction nozzles, and more particularly to a nozzleadapted to be connected with the suction hose of a vacuum cleaner andused for removing dust and dirt from a surface.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterhaving a number of sucpanying drawing, which forms a part of thisspecification and of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a nozzle in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a nozzle in accordancewith another embodiment of my invention.

The nozzle is adapted to be connected with the suction conduit of avacuum cleaner by means of a tubular connection member ID, which isadapted to serve as a handle when operating the nozzle. As illustratedin the drawing, the front end I I of the nozzle tapers conically towarda rounded apex, so that the tapered nozzle portion, which is providedwith a number of lengthened suction openings I3, is readily insertableinto corners, which are otherwise difficult to get into, as for instancebetween back and seat cushions of a sofa, an easy-chair or the like. Thesuction openings I3, which are separated by rib-shaped portions I4 ofthe nozzle body, are closed from the inside by resilient walls I5, whichmay be forced inwardly and, when the nozzle is used, are individuallyopened when the nozzle is pressed against the object to 'be cleaned. husonly the valve member or members I5, to which pressure is actuallyapplied, will be opened. In order to facilitate the inward movement, theresisilient walls I5 of the embodiment shown are provided with a numberof rubber pins I6, which, of course, may be substituted by tufts ofbristles or the like I6a, as illustrated in Fig. 3, depending on thepurpose for which the nozzle is intended. For the device shown in thedrawing the walls I5, carrying the pins I6, may suitably be made fromone moulding of rubber, which may, be manufactured in a tapered mould,conforming to the configuration of the nozzle portion II, and beprovided with longitudinal cuts at the portion intended to lie under theribs I I. The elastic force of the walls I5 may then favourably besupported by internal spring members II of any suitable kind.

In view of the foregoing, it will now be understood that an improvedsuction nozzle has been provided in which the hollow body or tubularconnection In is self-sustaining and defines a chamber arranged to beconnected to a source of suction supply. In the substantially inflexiblewall of the hollow body III are formedspaced apart apertures I3 whichare distributed over a working region of the nozzle body and throughwhich air and entrained foreign matter is drawn into the chamber bysuction effect from the exterior of the body. The walls I5 serve asvalve members for the apertures and the internal spring members IIconstitute resilient means .for biasing the valve members to asubstantially closed position.

The rubber pins IE or bristles Ilia may be referred to as agitatingelements or feeler members which are adapted to contact .a surface to becleaned, such pins or bristles being depressed upon contacting such asurface and independently operable to open the valve member I5associated therewith against the biasing action of the resilient meansI 1. Moreover, the pins I6 and bristles IBa project exteriorly of thebody or tubular connection I0 to promote agitation of the surface to becleaned when the valve members I5 are closed and also when the pins orbristles are depressed sufliciently to open the valve member associatedtherewith. It will be understood that each of the valve members I5 movefrom its closed position a distance dependent upon the extent a feelerelement associated therewith is depressed when contacting the surfacebeing cleaned, thereby constantly varying the quantity of air drawn intoth cham her through each aperture during manipulation of the body in acleaning operation.

While one more or less specific embodiment of the invention has beendescribed, it is to be understood that this has been done for thepurpose of illustration only and that the scope of the invention i notto be limited thereby, but is to be determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is: V

1. A suction nozzle comprising a hollow body defining a chamber havingan opening adapted to be connected to a source of suction supply, thebody including a substantially inflexible wall having spaced apartapertures distributed over a working region thereof and through whichair and foreign matter therein is adapted to be drawn into the chamberfrom the exterior of the body by suction effect, valvemembers for theapartures, resilient mean for biasing the valve members to asubstantially closed position, elements carried by the valve members foragitating a surface to be cleaned, the agitating elements beingdepressed upon contacting such a surface and independently operable toopen the valve member associated therewith against the biasing action oftheresilient means, and the agitating elements projecting exteriorly ofthe body to promote agitation of the surface to be cleaned when thevalve members are closedand also when the agitating elements aredepressed sufiiciently to open the valve member associated therewith.

2. A suction nozzle comprising a hollow body defining a chamber havingan opening adapted to be connected to a source of suction supply, thebody including a wall having apertures distributed over a working regionthereof and through which air and foreign matter contained therein isadapted to be drawn into the cham berfrom the exterior of the body bysuction efiect, valve members for the apertures, resilient means forbiasing the valve members to a substantially closed position, bristlescarried by the valve member for agitating a surface to be cleaned, thebristles being depressed upon contacting such a surface andindependently operable to open the valve member associated therewitheven when the wall is out of contact with and not bearing against thesurface to be cleaned, and the bristles projecting exteriorly of thebody to promote agitation of the surface to be cleaned when the valvemembers are closed and also when the bristles are depressed sufficientlyto open the valve member associated therewith.

3. A suction nozzle comprising a hollow body defining a chamber havingan opening adapted to be connected to a source of suction supply, thebody including a substantially inflexible wall having aperturesdistributed over a working region thereof and throughwhich air andforeign matter therein is adapted to be drawn into the chambar from theexterior of the body by suction efiect, Valve members for the apertures,resilient means for biasing the valve members to a substantially closedposition, means for stirring up foreign matter from a surface to becleaned during manipulation of the body comprising bristles carried bysaid valve members, the bristles bein depressed upon contact-ing such asurface and independently operable to open the valve member associatedtherewith against the biasing action of the resilient means, and thebristles projecting exteriorly of the body to promote agitation of thesurface to be cleaned when the valve members are closed and also whenthe bristles are depressed sufficiently to open the valve memberassociated therewith.

4. A suction nozzle comprising a hollow body defining a chamber havingan opening adapted to be connected to a source of suction supply, thebody including a substantially inflexible wall having slots or elongatedapertures distributed over a working region thereof and through whichair and'foreign matter therein is adapted to be drawn into the chamberfrom the exterior of the body by suction effect, elongated valve membersfor the apertures, resilient means for biasing the valve members to asubstantially closed position, a plurality of elements carried by eachvalve member for agitating a surface to be cleaned, the agitatingelements being depressed upon contacting the surface to be cleaned andindependently operable to open the valve member associated therewithagainst the biasing action of the resilient means, and the agitatingelements projecting exteriorly of the body to promote agitation of thesurface to be cleaned when the valve mem bers are closed and also whenthe agitating elements are depressed sufficiently to open the valvemember associated therewith.

5. A suctionnozzle comprising a hollow body defining a chamber having anopening adapted to be connected to a source of suction supply, the bodyincluding a substantially inflexible wall havin slots or elongatedaperture distributed over a working region thereof and through which airand foreign matter therein is adapted to be drawn into the chamber fromthe exterior of the body by suction effect, flexible elongated valvemembers for the apertures, resilient means for biasing the valve membersto a a substantially closed position, a plurality of elements carried byeach valve member for agitating a surface to be cleaned, the agitatingelements being depressed upon contacting a surface to be cleaned andindependently operable to open the valve member associated therewithagainst the biasing action of the resilient means, and the agitatingelements projecting exteriorly of the body to promote agitation of thesurface .to be cleaned when the valve members are closed and also whenthe agitating elements are depressed suificiently to open the valvemember associated therewith.

6. A suction nozzle comprising a self-sustaining hollow body defining achamber having an opening adapted to be connected to a source of suctionsupply, the body includin a substantially inflexible wall having spacedapart apertures distributed over a working regionthereof andthroughwhich air and foreign matter therein is adapted to be drawn into thechamber from the exterior of the body by suction effect, valve membersfor the apertures, metallic resilient means for biasing the valvemembers to a substantially closed position, feeler elements for thevalve members adapted to contact a surface to be cleaned, the feelerelements being depressed upon contacting such a surface andindependently operable to open the valve member associated therewithagainst the biasing action of the resilient means, and the feelerelements projecting exteriorly of the body to promote agitation of thesurface to be cleaned when the valve members are closed and also whenthe individual feeler elements are depressed sufiiciently to open thevalve member associated therewith, each of the valve members moving fromits closed position a distance dependent upon the extent a feelerelement associated therewith is depressed when contacting the surface tobe cleaned, thereby constantly varying the quantity of air drawn intothe chamber through each aperture during manipulation 'of the body in acleanin operation.

'IORD ERIK DANIEL BILDE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 217,164 Smith July 1, 1879712,530 Herfert Nov. 4, 1902 734,704 Harrison July 28, 1903 978,984Burdick Dec. 20, 1910 983,971 Baker Feb. 14, 1911 1,177,714 Lull Apr. 4,1916 1,752,664 Forcier Apr. 1, 1930 1,888,570 Rice Nov. 22, 19321,994,868 Replogle Mar. 19, 1935 2,064,903 Ghignatti Dec. 22, 1936FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 170,721 Germany May 12, 1906

